LAHORE, April 23: The President of the ruling PML-Q said here on Tuesday that opposition parties would have to accept the Legal Framework Order a part of the Constitution to make their talks with the government, meaningful and productive.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said this while talking to Dawn. He said the LFO had been incorporated in the Constitution and President Pervez Musharraf had also endorsed this point of view.

Now, he said, the opposition could have any provision of the Constitution amended or struck down only in a manner provided for the purpose.

Opposition parties, despite accepting invitation for talks, are sticking to their point of view —- that the LFO is alien to the Constitution and it cannot be merged with the basic law unless both houses of parliament approve it with a two-thirds majority.

Mr Shujaat said while his party was willing to discuss other demands and show some flexibility, the invitees should bear in mind that it was beyond the purview of the PML-Q to hold any talks on President Pervez Musharraf’s status as the army chief.

He said the army knew it well who their chief should be, and parties should not make it a subject of their political discussions.

When his attention was drawn towards matters concerning the formation of the National Security Council and the president’s power to dissolve assemblies, Mr Shujaat said his party would hold talks on them with an open mind.

He said if opposition parties moved reasonable amendments to the articles dealing with these subjects, the ruling party would support them.

He said his party was ready to discuss the contentious issues both in parliament as well as outside. “This shows flexibility in our stand.”

About President Musharraf’s remarks that he would address only a civilized parliament, Mr Shujaat said the President had made the right decision.

“Whatever is happening in both houses of parliament cannot be called civilized,” Mr Shujaat said of the incessant opposition protests.

He said in no civilized society would the legislators behave in a manner they were doing here.

“If we don’t want to be respected, why should President Musharraf give us any respect. One gets respect only when he behaves properly,” the PML-Q chief said.

It has been calculated that though no business had been conducted during the 24 days the National Assembly remained in session, the exchequer would have to pay the lawmakers an amount of Rs70 million in allowances.